A BIRTHDAY party with a difference was held at Acorns Children's Hospice in Bath Road, Worcester, on Sunday.

While the day marked the 90th birthday of patron June Sayce it was also the official opening of the hospice's new £290,000 extension.

The extension features two dedicated rooms for complementary therapy sessions, counselling and group work which will allow staff to offer a greater range of services for parents, siblings and children.

The development also includes a garden room to provide more space for group work, meetings and social activities.

There is also a storage room specifically for equipment which requires a large amount of space.

In 2001, Mrs Sayce and her late husband Willie, decided to hand over land behind their home worth £1.4 million to Acorns after being deeply touched by its work.

David Strudley, Acorns chief executive, said: “The addition to the existing building will make a real difference to everyone who makes use of facilities at the hospice, from our children and families, to staff and volunteers.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who helped make this possible.”

The money for the extension came from three sources including a grant of £190,000 from the Department of Health.

The new garden room was funded entirely by money raised by the public at the Free Radio Walk For Kids in Worcester in July 2013.